Shows / Your Retirement Planning Simplified
Your Retirement Planning Simplified
Welcome to the Retirement Planning Simplified Podcast. Join Joseph Curry, CFP Professional, Certified Exit Planning Advisor and retirement planning specialist, to learn how to simplify your retirement planning. If you're approaching retirement or have already entered your early retirement years, this podcast is designed to help you answer your big retirement questions like... Can I afford to retire? How do I create a paycheck in retirement? How do I pay less tax in retirement? And even big…
Episodes
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 218 | The Retirement Risks You Can Control, and the Ones You Can't
They stayed the course for 30 years, built a solid nest egg, and now, as they get close to retirement, they lie awake running the what-if's. What if the market…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 217 | Should You Spend Down Your Savings If You Have a Pension?
The people who walk in with the most secure retirement income Joe ever sees - a defined benefit pension that pays every month for the rest of their life - are…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 216 | The Biggest Mistake People Make When Markets Drop
Last week we touched on three things you should do when markets drop. This week is the flip side: the one mistake that does more damage than all the rest put…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 215 | Three Things to do When Markets Crash
Right now, markets are calm. And that is exactly the right time to talk about what to do when they are not. When markets drop, almost everything your gut is…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 214 | The RRIF Move to Make at 65, Not 71
Most people have one date circled for their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) - the year they turn 71. The year when it has to convert to a Registered…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 213 | Why Your Safe Retirement Money Might Be Your Biggest Risk
"My pension pays $4,000 a month for life." "I've got a million and a half in GICs and I'll live on $100,000 a year for the next 20 years." Both statements are…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 212 | Retiring Soon? The One Page That Shows You Your Retirement Paycheque
For 40 years, your paycheque just showed up. Then you retire, and suddenly you are sitting on the biggest amount of money you have ever had with no paycheque…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 211 | Should I Downsize in Retirement?
When Joe asks couples in retirement planning whether they would ever be open to freeing up equity in their home, the reaction is almost always the same: "I…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 210 | Equal Versus Fair: Dividing Your Estate Between Children
You sign your will, feel a wave of relief, and put it in the drawer. Done, handled, the kids are taken care of. But a will mostly records what you decided. It…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 209 | The Retirement Fear That Has Nothing to Do With Money
More than half of Canadians say they are afraid of making the wrong financial decision, and half say they have lost sleep over money. Your first instinct is…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 208 | The Beneficiary Audit Most People Skip
If something happened to you tomorrow, do you know who would actually receive each of your accounts? Not who you think it is - but who is actually named on the…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 207 | Five Pre-Retirement Moves the Standard Checklist Skips
Most retirement checklists cover the big pieces: your income plan, when to take CPP and OAS, stress testing, consolidating your accounts. But today Joe talks…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 206 | Am I Ready to Retire? Why the Hardest Part Isn't Financial
In almost every episode of this series, the money was actually fine. The math worked. So what held people back? In this wrap-up episode, Joe names the thing…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 205 | The Retirement Spending Smile: Why Your Costs Don't Just Drop Over Time
The go-go years are real. But does that mean you should spend everything early and hope for the best? Not quite. In this episode, Joe adds the honest…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 204 | The Retirement Paycheque: Why Where Your Money Comes From Changes How You Spend
Two people can have the exact same amount of money and the exact same retirement, and one spends comfortably while the other can barely bring themselves to…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 203 | Why We Don't Use the 4% Rule: A Better Way to Draw Retirement Income
If the best years of retirement are front-loaded, why do most retirement income plans hand you the same inflation-adjusted number every single year for 30…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 202 | The "One More Year" Trap: Why It's Rarely a Money Decision
"One more year." It sounds responsible. But after a lot of these conversations, Joe has come to believe it usually has very little to do with money. In this…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 201 | Underspending in Retirement: Why Running Out of Money Isn't Your Biggest Risk
Most people worry about running out of money in retirement. But for many careful savers, the bigger risk is the opposite: reaching the end of life having never…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 200 | What Good Planning Actually Looks Like, And Why We Made It Approachable
For Episode 200, Joe pulls back the curtain on how Matthews and Associates actually works with clients, and more importantly, why they built their process the…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 199 | Can You Spend Too Little in Retirement? The Underspending Trap Explained
You saved carefully for decades, but what if that same caution is quietly costing you your best years in retirement? Many Canadians retire with more than…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 198 | Is the OAS Clawback Worth Avoiding? A Canadian Retirement Reality Check
Most people treat the Old Age Security (OAS) clawback like a cliff you fall off the moment your income crosses the line. It isn't. In this episode we reframe…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 197 | The Honest Truth About One-Time Retirement Plans
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains the real value of a one-time retirement plan and why retirement planning should…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 196 | What Should You Do With Your Money at 60? The Canadian Retirement Plan I'd Use
What should Canadians do when they turn 60 and start thinking seriously about retirement? In this episode, Joe Curry walks through the exact retirement income…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 195 | How Pension Income Splitting Works for Couples
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains how pension income splitting works in Canada and why it can be one of the most…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 194 | RRSP to RRIF - When Should You Make the Switch?
When should you convert your RRSP to a RRIF? In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains the key differences between RRSPs and…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 193 | The #1 Retirement Mistake Most People Make - And It Has Nothing to Do With Money
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explores the most overlooked retirement planning risk: your health. While many Canadians…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 192 | Rebroadcast: A Retirement Manifesto, with Fritz Gilbert
In this rebroadcast of one of our most-listened-to episodes, Joe Curry sits down with Fritz Gilbert, founder of The Retirement Manifesto, to explore the…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 191 | Non-Registered Accounts: Why Your Withdrawal and Your Taxable Income Don't Match
In this episode, Joe Curry breaks down a common misunderstanding in retirement income planning: why your withdrawals don't equal taxable income. Learn how…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 190 | When You Retire in Canada, Tell NO ONE (Until You Do These 3 Things)
In this episode, Joe Curry breaks down three essential steps to take immediately after retiring in Canada to avoid costly mistakes. Learn how to optimize your…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 189 | Helping Adult Children Financially Without Ruining Your Retirement (Guide for Canadian Parents)
Helping adult children financially is common, but without a plan, it can quietly derail your own retirement. In this episode, Joe Curry walks through a…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 188 | 6 Costly Retirement Mistakes Canadian Retirees Keep Making (And How To Avoid Them)
In this episode, Joe Curry breaks down six costly retirement mistakes Canadians make around CPP timing, RRSP withdrawals, TFSA usage, and OAS clawback. Learn…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 187 | The RRSP Meltdown Strategy: How Canadian Retirees Can Cut RRIF Taxes & OAS Clawback
What is an RRSP meltdown strategy—and should you use one? In this episode, Joe Curry explains how intentional RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, CPP and OAS timing…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 186 | Retirement Budgeting Basics: 4 Costly Mistakes Canadian Retirees Keep Making
Many pre-retirees underestimate what retirement will actually cost, even when they've carefully tracked their spending. In this episode, Joe Curry walks…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 185 | 5 Retirement Regrets Canadian Retirees Confess After 65 (Even Millionaires)
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explores five of the most common retirement regrets Canadians experience, from…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 184 | Five things to do with RRIF minimums you don't need
Many Canadian retirees are surprised when their RRIF minimum withdrawals create more income than they actually need. In this episode, Joe Curry shares five…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 183 | 7 Expensive Mistakes Affluent Retirees Make in Their 60s
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry outlines seven expensive retirement planning mistakes affluent Canadians make in their 60s…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 182 | All Your Money With One Advisor? CDIC, CIPF & 'Eggs in One Basket' Explained for Canadian Retirees
Is it risky to hold all your investments with one wealth management company? In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains how…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 181 | The Last Legal Tax Shelters in Canada (And How They Actually Work), with Mark Halpern
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry sits down with estate planning expert Mark Halpern to discuss tax-efficient investing…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 180 | What Most People Get Wrong About When to Take CPP
When it comes to CPP and OAS timing, most Canadians ask the wrong question: "What if I die early?" In this episode, Joe Curry reframes CPP as longevity…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 179 | How to Stress Test Your Retirement Plan in 2026 (Before It Breaks)
Most retirement plans look fine - until inflation, markets, taxes, and 'real life' hit. In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 178 | The Hidden Risk of Playing It Too Safe in Retirement
Many retirees believe playing it safe means avoiding market risk—but that fear-driven approach can quietly limit your lifestyle in retirement. In this episode…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 177 | The Real Struggle: Spending in Retirement
Many high-net-worth Canadians discover that spending money in retirement is harder than saving it. In this episode, Joe Curry explores the psychology behind…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 176 | Mailbag Edition: Answering Your Top 5 Retirement Questions
In this mailbag edition, Joe Curry answers five of the most common retirement planning questions Canadians ask—covering retirement income planning, target…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 175 | If Your Retirement Plan Feels Boring, You're Probably Doing It Right
If your retirement plan feels boring, that might actually mean it's working. In this episode, Joe Curry explains why disciplined, boring retirement planning…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 174 | Your Retirement, Your Terms – Make 2026 the Year You Take Intentional Action
Knowledge alone won't get you through retirement — action will. In this New Year's episode, Joe Curry explains why clarity, testing assumptions, and taking…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 173 | The 5 Retirement Lessons You Loved Most in 2025
In this special year-end episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry breaks down the five biggest retirement lessons listeners cared about most…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 172 | 10 Common Wealth Traps Smart Canadian Retirees Avoid
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry breaks down the 10 assets successful Canadian retirees almost never buy - and why avoiding…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 171 | What I Learned From 100 Early Retirees in Canada
Learn what more than 100 successful Canadian early retirees did differently to make life after work sustainable. Joe Curry breaks down the income systems…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 170 | What Should You Withdraw First: RRSP, CPP, or TFSA?
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, you will gain insight into the optimal withdrawal order for Canadian retirement accounts — RRSP first…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 169 | Beneficiaries, Successors & Your Retirement Accounts: How to Get It Right Before You Retire
Naming beneficiaries and successors might seem simple, but one wrong designation can lead to tax headaches, probate delays, or unfair outcomes for your heirs…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 168 | Plugging the Leaks: How to Free Up Hidden Cashflow Before Retirement
Even in retirement, small expenses can quietly drain your income — until you take a closer look. In this episode, Joe Curry shares how a simple personal…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 167 | Retirement Planning Simplified — Why Simplicity is the Ultimate Strategy
Even high-net-worth retirees can fall into the trap of financial complexity, with multiple accounts, different advisors, and no clear strategy. In this…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 166 | Cybersecurity for Retirees: Protecting Your Digital Wealth
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry unpacks essential cybersecurity lessons for retirees, based on insights from expert Darren…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 165 | Why You Might Want to Take CPP at 60 (Even If the Math Says Otherwise)
When it comes to CPP timing, the math often says "wait until 70" - but life isn't lived in a spreadsheet. In this episode, Joe Curry explores why taking your…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 164 | How to Evaluate Investment Performance in Retirement
Wondering if your retirement portfolio is really performing well? In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains why comparing your…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 163 | The 5.5 Guaranteed Retirement Income Sources Every Canadian Should Understand
In this episode of Your Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe breaks down the five and a half guaranteed retirement income sources every Canadian should…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 162 | Understanding RRIF Withdrawal Rules and Building a Tax-Smart Retirement Plan
Most retirees view mandatory RIF withdrawals as a tax trap—but what if they're actually a strategic advantage? In this episode, Joe Curry explains how smart…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 161 | Redefining Retirement for High Achievers: Identity, Purpose, and Structure After Work
What if the hardest part of retirement isn't money, markets, or even health but your identity? In this episode of Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 160 | Retirement and Sudden Death: Psychological and Physical Risks to Know
What happens when someone finally retires only to pass away months later? In this episode of Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe talks about the surprising…
- Your Retirement Planning Simplified
EP # 159 | Financial Psychology for Retirees
In this episode of Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry talks with Dr. Meghaan Lurtz, a financial psychology professor at Kansas State University. They…